Tuesday, October 11, 2005

A meme and an update

I had an amazing weekend. My Oma was in town from Edmonton, and I spent a lot of it with her, getting to hear her stories and learning to tat (hand make lace). *sarcasm* I wanted to learn because y'know that I have way too much time and not nearly enough hobbies to do with string. */sarcasm* It was so incredible though. I'm the fourth (fifth if you count my aunt...but she isn't in the direct line for me) tatter in my mom's family. My grandmother, my great grandmother and my great, great grandmother all tatted and it feels so awe inspiring to see my hands create something that women in my family have made for nearly 150 years.

I'm half Scottish (dad's side) and half Austrian (mom's side), and I've always only explored the Scottish side, what with playing in a pipe band, Highland dancing, celtic music, eating haggis etc. The closest I've really been to Austrian culture is watching The Sound Of Music and opening family presents Christmas Eve. Oh, and rye bread. I loves me my rye bread...with liverwurst on it. (Side note: why is it that I always pick the disgusting traditional food to love?? Ah well, keeps people away from it.) So to be able to explore some of the other side, that was such a great experience. I have a copy of the book she uses, with a handwritten inscription from her to me in it, as well as her notes, and a tatting shuttle that she bought for me from Lewiscraft, but I think the most important thing she left for me was the memories of seven or eight hours over the weekend of crafting together, talking to each other and my mom, learning a beautiful art.

When I practice my tatting, I can hear her speaking in my head with her accent, telling me the next move to make. I make the same exasperated noises when I make a mistake. All of us take our tea the same way, enjoy cheese, smoked oysters, crackers, liverwurst, rye bread and coldcuts for lunch. We'll all have different last names, but we're all connected.